Business

Vox reports: Maine just became the first state to ban Styrofoam food containers. The bill, which was signed into law today and goes into effect in January 2021, prohibits convenience stores, restaurants, grocery stores, farm stands, and coffee shops from using containers made of polystyrene, which is more commonly referred to as Styrofoam. “Polystyrene cannot be recycled like a lot …

Buzzfeed News reports: Pornhub Vice President Corey Price said in an email to BuzzFeed News that the porn-streaming giant is extremely interested in buying Tumblr, the once uniquely horny hub for young women and queer people that banned adult content last December to the disappointment of many of its users. Price said that restoring Tumblr’s NSFW edge would be central …

The Verge reports: Verizon is seeking a buyer for Tumblr, the blogging platform it acquired along with other Yahoo assets in 2017. The Wall Street Journal reports that Verizon has approached other companies in recent weeks that could be potential new homes for Tumblr. The platform hosts 465.4 million blogs and 172 billion posts, according to its about page. The …

The BBC reports: Gavin Williamson has been sacked as defence secretary following an inquiry into the leak of information from the National Security Council. Downing Street said the PM had “lost confidence in his ability to serve” and Penny Mordaunt will take on the role. The inquiry followed reports over a plan to allow Huawei limited access to help build …

Forbes reports: Marc Benioff, billionaire founder of enterprise software behemoth Salesforce, and his wife Lynne are donating $30 million to the University of California, San Francisco to fund a new research initiative that will identify the root causes of, and find evidence-based solutions towards ending, homelessness. The new program, called the Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, will be part of …

Reuters reports: Spotify on Monday announced that it has surpassed 100 million paid subscribers, becoming the first music streaming company to reach that mark. Spotify said it has 217 million monthly active users and 100 million who are premium subscribers. The global leader in the sector, with double the number of subscribers of nearest rival Apple Music, Spotify has launched …

The Daily Beast reports: Sweetgreen will begin accepting cash again at all 94 of its nationwide locations by September 30, Bloomberg reports. The popular fast-casual salad chain stopped accepting cash in 2016, a decision that was met with criticism. Critics argue that cashless businesses discriminate against customers who might not have access to lines of credit or mobile payment apps. …

The Tennessean reports: IKEA, Lyft, Hilton and Warby Parker and several other businesses operating in Tennessee are speaking out against legislation affecting LGBT individuals, arguing the proposed bills will make employee recruitment more difficult and harm the state’s business climate. These companies, which sent a signed letter to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Glen Casada, join a growing …

NBC News reports: A California city that last year approved the opening of a Chick-fil-A at its local airport now wants to send a message of support to LGBTQ people as the opening date for the fast-food restaurant nears. The San Jose City Council voted 11-0 on Tuesday to hang rainbow flags in support of LGBTQ people and pink, blue …

Variety reports: Bob Iger didn’t mince words while being honored Thursday by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Upon receiving the Humanitarian Award at the organization’s National Tribute Dinner from Jeffrey Katzenberg, the Walt Disney Co. chairman and CEO delivered a scathing critique of social media and the current state of political discourse. “Hitler would have loved social media,” Iger said. “It’s …

Travel Agent Central reports: Princess Cruises is looking to change its calls to Brunei after the destination introduced a harsh penal code that includes laws that make gay sex and adultery punishable by stoning to death, a spokesperson for the cruise line tells Travel Agent. “Princess Cruises is aware of the news stories circulating about the country of Brunei and …

The Associated Press reports: The artist who created the first paint-by-numbers pictures and helped turn the kits into an American sensation during the 1950s has died, his family confirmed. Dan Robbins’ son says his father died Monday in Sylvania, Ohio. He was 93. Robbins came up with the idea for paint-by-numbers photos in the 1940s while working for the Palmer …

The Associated Press reports: The national chain Motel 6 has agreed to pay $12 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Washington state claiming names of hotel guests were provided to immigration officials for two years. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Thursday the company also signed an agreement to stop the practice and to provide training to employees to …

NBC News reports: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos, have finalized their divorce. The powerful business executive, whose portfolio includes The Washington Post, and his now-former wife announced the dissolution of their marriage in separate statements on Twitter. “Grateful to have finished the process of dissolving my marriage with Jeff with support from each other and everyone who reached …

CNBC reports: Online shopping led by Amazon hit a new milestone in February. The total market share of “non-store,” or online U.S. retail sales was higher than general sales for the first time in history, according to a report from the Commerce Department this week. Non-store retail sales last month accounted for 11.813 percent of the total, compared with 11.807 …

Reuters reports: Royal Dutch Shell on Tuesday became the first major oil and gas company to announce plans to leave a leading U.S. refining lobby due to disagreement on climate policies. In its first review of its association with 19 key industry groups, the company said it had found “material misalignment” over climate policy with the American Fuel & Petrochemical …

Forbes reports: The much-maligned pharmaceutical businessman and uber troll Martin Shkreli has been put in solitary confinement at Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey, Forbes has been told by two sources with knowledge of the situation. That came after the Wall Street Journal described how he was using a contraband phone to run his pharma business from behind …

The Buffalo News reports: Air travelers hungry for a chicken sandwich can stop at a Chick-fil-A restaurant inside 28 airports around the United States, but not at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Nor will they any time soon. Delaware North Cos. on Friday apparently scuttled plans for the area’s second Chick-fil-A announced not even 24 hours previously by the Niagara Frontier …

The New York Times reports: Would you like that Whopper with or without beef? This week, Burger King is introducing a version of its iconic Whopper sandwich filled with a vegetarian patty from the start-up Impossible Foods. The Impossible Whopper, as it will be known, is the biggest validation — and expansion opportunity — for a young industry that is …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: With Disney’s theme parks becoming more crowded, the company announced it is banning smoking and vaping inside the gates and oversized strollers, moves meant to free up space and make visitors have a better time. The sweeping changes were announced Thursday. One change took effect immediately — prohibiting dry or loose ice, typically brought in coolers …